Education invests over a decade into teaching youth about life and their speciality, but the need to learn does not stop with graduation. In some ways, it’s just starting. The wise learn how to learn in their organization and community. This allows them to adapt and advance over time. This collection of essays, written by business leaders and compiled by the Harvard Business Review, initiates and inspires learners in their quest to benefit from those further on in their professional paths.

The trouble with these guides is that they skim the surface on every relevant topic. Just when the reader’s palette is whet, the essay ends, and the next essay begins. Such is the case with this short guide, too. Perhaps a good goal is to identify a couple of topics to do a “deep dive” into as a follow up. Because of this book’s brevity and non-technical prose, I found it helpful to listen to it as an audiobook. It provides inspiration and motivation to make the most out of mentoring opportunities.

The most important message of this book is preparing readers to be effective mentees. Effective mentees manage their mentors so that they can get the most out of the relationship while not burdening the mentor too much. Further, effective mentees use their already existing skillsets to help the mentors achieve their goals. This “greasing of the wheel” can aid in personal advancement and gaining mentors. Little nuggets of advice like this fill this book.

Professionals in their early careers – regardless of field – will benefit most from this book. It will help them look at themselves first and then look at the opportunities around them. Also, established mentors, though presumably having a deeper mastery, can benefit from understanding the practice of mentoring, too. The art of mentoring is deceptively profound and complex, yet it maintains a prime position for professional advancement. Healthy mentoring, whether formal or informal, bequeaths practical wisdom to its adherents. With a focus on business, this short guide will orient readers in the right direction to benefit from the mentoring process. ( )